Legumes & Soy: A Really Simple Way to Lower Your Blood Pressure
Here’s the problem: high blood pressure affects 1.4 billion people and is a huge risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Here’s the hope: high blood pressure is one of the most modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Now here’s the best news: modifying the risk may be way easier than you thought.
This new meta-analysis of all the research on the effect of eating legumes or soy on blood pressure published up until June 2025 included 12 studies. There were 309,853 people in the legumes studies and 278,200 people in the soy studies. Legumes included beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. Soy included soybeans, tofu and fermented soy products.
The results were game changing. People who ate the most legumes were 16% less likely to have high blood pressure than the people who ate the least, and the people who ate the most soy were 19% less likely. At about 170g a day of soy, the reduction reached 30% for legumes. At 60-80g a day of soy the reduction reached 28-29%.
To give you an idea how easy that is to achieve, 100g is about one cup, or 5-6 tablespoons of cooked legumes, including soybeans, or about a palm size serving of tofu.
This study provides an affordable, simple, safe and delicious way to drastically reduce your risk of high blood pressure.
BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. 2026:e001449.
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For much more on preventing and treating high blood pressure naturally, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.
For much more on healthy eating for high blood pressure, see Linda’s newest cookbook, The All-New Vegetarian Passport Cookbook, a complete cookbook and health book in one.
For comprehensive natural help with your health, including blood pressure and cardiovascular health, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for in person and virtual appointments.
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